


Any Other Name

by writetherest



Category: Castle
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writetherest/pseuds/writetherest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>When Beckett told me that you hadn't made it home… Having you disappear once without saying goodbye was plenty, alright?</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> This is the crazy AU world in my head where the woman Castle fell in love with in college, Allison, is actually Jordan Shaw. I don't know either.

"Jordan Shaw?" It's the first time he's managed to catch her alone since she climbed out of the black SVU and threw him for a loop.

She turns with that Mona Lisa smile of hers, coffee cup in hand and looks him up and down. "Richard Castle?" It's as much an accusation as his was.

Silence stretches between them as he writes and rewrites what he wants to say in his mind before finally settling on what seems to be at the forefront of his mind. "I searched for you for over a year."

"You mean you searched for Allison for over a year." She corrects easily.

"Which is apparently why I couldn't find her. Because she didn't exist!"

She takes pity on him then. "She did exist. For 20 years. She disappeared the next day."

"And Jordan Shaw was born?"

"Shortly thereafter." She drinks the coffee and studies him for a second. "So, now that you know what happened to Alison, care to tell me what happened to Rick Rodgers?"

"He became a bestselling author and changed his name so people wouldn't get him confused with a dead composer." He smiles at her, the same smile he'd used all those years ago, the smile she had fallen in love with.

"Rick, I –"

Esposito and Ryan choose that moment to come into the break room, effectively stopping any conversation about the past. Jordan excuses herself and Castle watches as she walks away.

**

"So, Shaw like Robert Shaw?"

"Picked up on that, huh?" She's smiling again and he can see her lying with her head in his lap, laughing at his observations about the party around them.

"Where did Jordan come from then?"

"Well, Mr. Castle, I'd think you'd know that."

He's puzzling over it when Beckett comes back into the War Room, followed by Jordan's people.

"This isn't over." He whispers to her. She just smiles that secret smile and turns her attention to the case.

**

"So, married huh?"

"Yes." She says it softly, as if cushioning the blow.

"I hope he makes you very happy." It's sincere, in the way she remembers that he was that night, and it's like a kick in the gut, to think that she had to have hurt him badly when she disappeared.

"He does. So does my daughter."

"You've got a daughter, too? Picture swap!" His eyes light up as he pulls out his wallet, and even though they don't have time for this, hers is out too.

"She's beautiful." He tells her as he looks at the little girl with the red curls smiling back from the photo.

"So is she." She nods, the older red headed beauty catching her attention. "Thing for redheads there Rick?"

He laughs, but it's hollow. "Got my heart broken by a redhead and a brunette in college. Had better memories of the redhead, so I tried to recapture that. It didn't work out so well, but at least I got Alexis out of the deal."

Her hand reaches out and touches his face before she's aware of it. "Maybe someday you'll forgive me."

His hand catches hers, squeezes softly. "I do."

There's a commotion in the bullpen and the moment is gone as they both tuck the pictures away and head back out to see what's happening.

**

After they collar Dunn, Castle insists on Jordan getting checked out and much to her chagrin, everyone agrees. He offers to take her to the hospital, and everyone is so preoccupied with closing the case, they agree with little suspicion.

"You okay?" He asks when they're settled in the car.

"I'm fine, Rick."

He lets out a puff of air. "When Beckett told me that you hadn't made it home… Having you disappear once without saying goodbye was plenty, alright?"

"Alright." She reaches out and squeezes his hand. "Thank you for saving me, even after everything. I know it was you who figured out where Dunn had me."

"I already told you, I forgive you. There is nothing you could do that would stop me from protecting you. Besides, Beckett was the one who listened and who went in."

"You two make a great team."

He nods and focuses on parking the car. "Come on, let's get you checked out." He takes her hand when they get out of the car, and for the few moments it takes to walk into the hospital, she allows it.

**

She gets a clean bill of health and a few stitches on the cut on her cheek. When they reach the car, he hands her a wrapped gift.

"Rick?"

He smiles. "Just open it."

She pulls off the paper to reveal a copy of 'In A Hail Of Bullets'. She runs her fingers over the cover and then smiles up at him. "Thank you, but I already have a copy. At the risk of inflating your ego, I have copies of all your books."

He looks like a kid in a candy shop when she tells him that. "I thought as much. But, you don't have this particular copy. Open it."

She opens the book to find that he has signed it.

_To the real Allison Jordan. I have been privileged to know both sides of you. Allison, I will always cherish the memories of you, the girl that made me fall in love with her in six hours. Jordan, keep slaying those dragons as only you can. With utmost love and respect to both of you, Richard Castle/Rick Rodgers._

"You just had to kill me off, didn't you?" She laughs after reading the dedication, indicating the character of Allison Jordan, the murdered Broadway actress. The character Rick had named after her and that she, in turn, had used to name herself.

"Maybe I was working through some issues I had with your leaving at the time I wrote the book," he tells her with a grin, "but you took the character's last name so…"

"I guess we both wanted to hang on to the past in some way."

"I guess so."

"Although I'm also concerned about the mommy issues raised by the fact that you made your murder victim a Broadway actress."

"So was my mother."

They laugh together and for the few remaining moments, it's like the years have melted away and they are once again Rick and Allison, laughing and talking and falling in love.

**

"I'm gonna miss you." He tells her, hugging her tight, ignoring the looks from Beckett and everyone else.

"I'll be back." She whispers against his ear. "I promise."

"Bye, Allison." He says, because he needs the chance to say it this time.

She pulls back and looks into his eyes. "Goodbye, Rick."

And once again she slips out of his life. Only this time, she said goodbye.  



End file.
